This invention relates to upholstered furniture having interchangeable components. In particular, it relates to an upholstered sofa bed that can be used as either a sofa or a bed.
In conventional upholstered sofa beds and sleep sofas, the standard method of construction utilizes a wood or woodproduct frame having a seat, a front rail, a back rail, two arms and a non-removable sleeper mechanism and mattress. Conventional upholstered sofa beds do not have interchangeable components and cannot be assembled or disassembled by the customer. Alternatively, "jack-knife" sofa beds utilize an upholstered seat and back connected by a metal hinge mechanism that allows the back to fold down into a single size bed. There are also "futon type" sofa beds that utilize hinged wooden frames that slide on a wood track into the open "sleep" position.
"Jackknife" and "futon style" sofa beds can usually be assembled and disassembled by the customer. In both cases, however, there are many drawbacks which are overcome by the present invention.
"Jackknife" sofa beds are usually constructed so that the seating and back sections are supported solely by bolts connected to the arms. The bolts normally loosen over time and must be continually retightened to maintain the structural integrity of the piece. In addition, the design of the "jackknife" mechanism requires that the seat remain stationary while the back folds straight down. This means that the sofa bed must be pulled away from the wall when converting from a sofa into a bed. Also, the seat and back sections are connected by the "jackknife" mechanism in such a manner that there is a gap between the cushions in the sleep position making the sofa bed relatively uncomfortable for sleeping.
"Futon style" sofa beds are generally sturdier and more comfortable than "jackknife" type sofa beds and have been widely accepted. The limitation of the "futon style," however is that the requisite tracks and slides needed to convert the frame from the seating position to the sleeping position typically restrict the styles to those that use bare wood frames without upholstering. In addition, assembly and disassembly requires the use of tools and far more time and effort than the present invention.